De Palma brings The Fury to Blu-ray

Arrow Video is pleased to announce the UK Blu-ray debut of Brian De Palma’s supernatural thriller THE FURY on Monday 28th October.
One of De Palma’s best loved films, this new version of THE FURY has been painstakingly restored from the original camera negative, a process overseen by master technician James White (who also restored the massively acclaimed Arrow Video release of Zombie Flesh Eaters in 2012).

Marking the film’s UK Blu-ray premiere in style, Arrow’s team of restorers have breathed new life into this telekinetic masterpiece – it’s crystal clear, incredibly vibrant and has been newly graded, all the while keeping true to Richard H. Kline’s brilliant original cinematography. 2013 year marks THE FURY’s 35th birthday… it’s never looked better.

Restoration Supervisor James White says of the project – “It’s been a great honour to restore THE FURY, a truly fantastic film by one of my favourite directors. Its combination of sci-fi, horror and post-Watergate paranoia thriller make it one of the key titles in Brian De Palma’s filmography, although some fans may be less familiar with the film due to its poor treatment on home video until now. Thankfully, this new restoration, struck directly from the original camera negative and carefully restored to preserve the full colour palette and subtleties of Richard Kline’s masterly cinematography, should reaffirm the film’s reputation as one of De Palma’s greatest works, as well as a key film in American 1970s cinema. Finally audiences can see THE FURY as it was meant to be seen.”

Arrow’s deluxe edition of THE FURY will come loaded with a never-before-seen selection of special features, bonus material and an in-depth collector’s booklet, many of which have been independently sourced and appear here for the very first time. A full breakdown of the special features is detailed below.

Starring living Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas alongside John Cassavetes (Rosemary’s Baby, The Dirty Dozen) and Carrie Snodgress (Diary of a Mad Housewife), THE FURY is an experience of both terror and suspense.

Cassavetes gives his most sinister performance since Rosemary’s Baby as a man who kidnaps the telepathic son of his colleague (Kirk Douglas), aiming to turn him and similarly gifted individuals into human weapons. Meanwhile, Gillian (Amy Irving), is worried enough about the destructive potential of her own powers to agree to be institutionalised – but is the Paragon Institute all that it’s cracked up to be?

De Palma pulls out all the stops with some spectacular set-pieces (including one that will put viewers off fairground rides for life), before a spectacularly explosive climax that unforgettably demonstrates why Gillian is so afraid of her powers. She can trigger nosebleeds without any effort, so how much damage can she do when she’s actually trying to hurt someone?

Featuring a wonderfully melodramatic score by Academy Award-winning composer John Williams (Jaws, Star Wars, Schindler’s List), THE FURY has one of the horror genre’s best-ever soundtracks. Performed and recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, the score adds yet another dimension to De Palma’s spectacular vision.

Sam Irvin, who worked as an intern on THE FURY and who is now an acclaimed film-maker in his own right, is currently available for interview to talk about his time on-set and what it was like working with De Palma.

Sam’s short film tribute to De Palma, “Double Negative”, appears as an exclusive extra.

Following Obsession, Blow Out and Dressed to Kill, THE FURY is the fourth film in Arrow Video’s De Palma Collection; restored Blu-ray editions of Sisters and Phantom of the Paradise will follow in 2014.

One of the greatest film directors of his generation, Brian De Palma’s inspirational career spans 40 years and includes commercial and critical successes in each decade since the 1970s. Alongside the likes of Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and William Friedkin, De Palma was part of the so-called “New Hollywood” movement which ruled Tinseltown throughout the ’70s and ‘80s.

Best known for his psychological and often violent thrillers, De Palma’s use of split-screens, slow panning shots and Hitchcockian suspense have made his films instantly recognisable. Alongside THE FURY, some of De Palma’s most revered works include Scarface, Carrie, Blow Out, Dressed to Kill, The Untouchables and Mission: Impossible.

De Palma has proved hugely influential, inspiring many modern-day film makers to get behind the camera; Quentin Tarantino hails De Palma as the greatest living American director. Also known for discovering and nurturing new acting talent, De Palma is widely credited with fostering the early careers of Robert De Niro and John C. Reilly.

A full of the special features included on the deluxe edition of THE FURY is as follows:

– “Blood on the Lens”: An interview with Cinematographer Richard H. Kline.
– “Spinning Tales”: Fiona Lewis on starring in The Fury.
– “The Fury – A Location Journal”: An interview with Sam Irvin, intern on The Fury, author of the film’s shooting diary and then correspondent for Cinefantastique magazine.
– Original archive interviews from the 1978 promotional tour, featuring Brian De Palma, producer Frank Yablans and stars Carrie Snodgress and Amy Irving.
– “Double Negative”: A short film tribute to Brian De Palma by Sam Irvin, starring William Finley.
– Gallery of behind-the-scenes production images.
– Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jay Shaw.
– Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Chris Dumas, author of Un-American Psycho: Brian De Palma and the Political Invisible, as well as a re-print of a contemporary interview with Brian De Palma, and a brand new interview with screenwriter John Farris on the writing of the film, his and De Palma’s unrealised adaptation of Alfred Bester’s The Demolished Man and more, illustrated with original stills and posters.